We've both been really looking forward to going over to Seattle at the end of March for the Emerald City ComiCon. The plan was to take a week so we would also have time to see people while we were there and do touristy type stuff as well.
But we were talking it over and decided we'd be better off not going, even though we really want to. Jenny got the time off she requested, and we'd probably have enough money to generally enjoy ourselves. But there are a lot of other things we want to spend that money on - things we've been really needing and keep having to put off. Like a new computer, or a new bed, or just moving into a better place.
We did get our taxes filed, and are getting a decent (but not huge) refund back. And that's definitely going to help our plans for this year.
So we'll set that money aside, and probably use the week off that Jenny's getting to look for a place to live. We at least now know the general area we want to move to, and can start looking for a house to rent.
We still would like to get over to Seattle to visit, since we haven't been since the 2010 ComiCon. We might try for later in the year, once we (hopefully) get into a new place and everything's settled and straightened out. There is a smaller one day convention in September we might try to hit; I might even see about getting a table at it depending on how things go. The Spokane ComiCon is also coming up in May, and I'll definitely be splitting a table with my friend Matt at that one.
And for now we'll just try to be responsible and save, and not splurge on anything not in the budget...
Showing posts with label taxes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taxes. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Monday, April 13, 2009
Weekend Update
For some reason Loudtwitter didn't forward my Twitter updates for Saturday to the blog this morning like it was supposed to.... Not sure why; I checked and everything seems to be set up correctly, and it worked yesterday. Guess we'll see what happens tomorrow.
EDIT - Nope, didn't work. Hmm....
Anyway, weekend was good. We were supposed to hang out with our friend Jamie on Friday, since it was Jenny's day off, but he ended up having to spend most of the day running his mom around on errands, so we postponed until next Friday.
Instead, I did chores - cleaning, balancing the checkbook, dishes, laundry and stuff. And Jenny got out her paintings and worked on them some. I also attempted to finally fix our reception problem in the den, but to no avail. I found we had a super-long coaxial cable that I hooked up and was able to move the antennae all over the place in the apartment and the reception never got any better.
What seemed wierdest to me was that I was able to stretch the antennae all the way into the studio where the other TV (which gets all the channels) is. The antennae was in the exact same spot in the studio where it normally picks up stations fine, but when it was hooked up to the TV in the other room, it couldn't. Just made no sense.... Maybe we will have to make that coat hanger super-antennae after all. :)
Jenny's bosses at the law-firm were getting rid of some old computer equipment, so she came home the other day with a desktop (without a hard drive) and two flatscreen monitors. The PC went to her dad, as he's part of a computer club in CdA that refurbishes old computers to give to people in need. One of the monitors definately works, and we'll probably switch it out for the old one we've got now, and the other one may - we just have to get an appropriate power cord adapter for it to find out.
Jenny's dad also gave us their old PC a while back, when he got a new one. It's been sitting in our closet since then since the extra monitor he gave us is about to die, and we really don't have any extra room for it anyway. But now that we'll have another functional monitor (either the 2nd flatscreen or our old one), I'll probably get it up and running. We may actually switch it out for our current PC, as it's still newer/faster than the one we're using now (Jenny's old one). But I'm not looking forward to re-installing everything again, and the fan needs to be adjusted as right now it sounds like an airplane taking off....
And we finally filed our taxes today. We did it online, and should be getting a very small amount back. But we'll take whatever we can get, and are just happy we don't have to pay anything. :)
Friday, June 06, 2008
Whoo Hoo!!!
Well, Eric, I guess I do have something to blog about. ;P
The IRS has finally given us our tax refund and our stimulous package today! Hooray, we can afford gas! That's only sort of a joke... Stupid gas prices... But anyways, yay money! Too bad it's not enough to be able to move into a house instead of an apartment...
Peter's been working on art, and a big thing currently is to make sketch cards. So Peter drew one up, and I think it looks great! It's based on Shade the Changing Man, an older comic book character from around the early '90s (Google it if you're curious.)
Honestly I've been spending most of my not-at-work time reading or playing sudoku, instead of doing art. But I have been thinking about various things. Now I just have to get to them...
I guess that's it for now. Have a good weekend everyone!
Friday, May 23, 2008
The Empire (aka I.R.S.) Strikes Back....
Well, while we (per usual, unfortunately) filed our taxes just in the nick of time this year, it's now been over a month and we haven't yet received our refund or our "Economic Stimulus" rebate. So I checked online and it said that there was a delay in processing our refund due to an "outstanding tax liability". Understandably, I was concerned since I shouldn't have any "outstanding liabilities" and we really want our money!
I called the IRS tonight. First I talked to a nice gentleman who said that there was this refund and rebate sitting there waiting for us, but it was being held, apparently due to a business related liability. "Do you have a business account?" he asks me. "Why yes, I had a business account," I reply "however it's long closed and I paid the last monies due over a year ago, in person, and haven't heard anything from the IRS about it since." And if I know the IRS, if I really owed them money, they would have come to collect by now.
He can't help me, since he doesn't handle business accounts; so he transfers me to someone else, after telling me exactly what I need to tell said person about my situation. After spending a long while on hold, I speak to a nice lady who takes all my info and puts me on hold again and starts the search for the cause of my troubles. She pops back in a couple of times, apologizes for keeping me on hold for so long, and asks more questions, trying to figure out exactly where these mysterious liabilities might be hiding.
She lets me know that as far as she can tell, I don't owe any money (which I already knew), but before she can release the hold she has to be absolutely sure . This understandable - I'm sure she doesn't want her bosses at the IRS coming after her any more than I do. Then, mid-sentence, she stops. "Oh, I'm sorry, it's right there in front of me! It's been released."
She then explains that the hold was released on the 19th of this month, so we should be getting our money some time in the next 2-3 weeks. No reason why it took them over a month to release the hold, especially since the business debts were paid off a year ago (April 12th, 2007 to be specific), but considering all the problems I had paying them originally, I really shouldn't be surprised.
So that was a whole lot of non-fun. We closed the store 5 years ago and it's still a headache....
In non-stupid IRS related news, Jenny's sick now as well. She thinks it's some sort of sinus infection, and is going to take tomorrow off from her morning job so she can get some more rest. I'm starting to feel better, but I still haven't shaken this thing.
Oh, and I did get caught up on sleep last night. Still not back to getting up early, but sleep schedule is semi-normal again.
I called the IRS tonight. First I talked to a nice gentleman who said that there was this refund and rebate sitting there waiting for us, but it was being held, apparently due to a business related liability. "Do you have a business account?" he asks me. "Why yes, I had a business account," I reply "however it's long closed and I paid the last monies due over a year ago, in person, and haven't heard anything from the IRS about it since." And if I know the IRS, if I really owed them money, they would have come to collect by now.
He can't help me, since he doesn't handle business accounts; so he transfers me to someone else, after telling me exactly what I need to tell said person about my situation. After spending a long while on hold, I speak to a nice lady who takes all my info and puts me on hold again and starts the search for the cause of my troubles. She pops back in a couple of times, apologizes for keeping me on hold for so long, and asks more questions, trying to figure out exactly where these mysterious liabilities might be hiding.
She lets me know that as far as she can tell, I don't owe any money (which I already knew), but before she can release the hold she has to be absolutely sure . This understandable - I'm sure she doesn't want her bosses at the IRS coming after her any more than I do. Then, mid-sentence, she stops. "Oh, I'm sorry, it's right there in front of me! It's been released."
She then explains that the hold was released on the 19th of this month, so we should be getting our money some time in the next 2-3 weeks. No reason why it took them over a month to release the hold, especially since the business debts were paid off a year ago (April 12th, 2007 to be specific), but considering all the problems I had paying them originally, I really shouldn't be surprised.
So that was a whole lot of non-fun. We closed the store 5 years ago and it's still a headache....
In non-stupid IRS related news, Jenny's sick now as well. She thinks it's some sort of sinus infection, and is going to take tomorrow off from her morning job so she can get some more rest. I'm starting to feel better, but I still haven't shaken this thing.
Oh, and I did get caught up on sleep last night. Still not back to getting up early, but sleep schedule is semi-normal again.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Quick-ish Update
I guess things are pretty much going allright, all things considered.
I'm still unemployed. I am looking for a job, but I really want to find something good, not just "a job". And I'm definitely enjoying my time off....
Jenny's enjoying her library job, and is going to start a second, temporary, part time job next week at Eric's (her best friend Jenni's husband) law firm. It's a temp data entry job, which may last a month, maybe two, basically however long it takes to get the job done. And she can pretty much make her own schedule, which is always nice.
So, with her job(s) we've got some decent income for the time being. And I've got some time to look for a job without the "I Have To Find A Job Now!" shadow hanging over my head.
We of course waited till the last minute (again) to file our taxes. We decided to file online to speed up our refund, and in the hopes of it being "easier". Yeah, right... I think it was about 6 hours, from start to finish, of hair-pulling-out frustration, and then I had to resubmit it the next day when the IRS rejected it due to one of the numbers being off. Hopefully they won't ding us with any late fees or service charges.
Oh, and on top of that, all of the cartridges on our monster of a printer decided to give out at once, right when we were trying to print out the tax forms we needed. Then the printer kept saying that one of the new cartidges was empty! So, had to figure out how to override it and make it accept the cartridge - now it works, but it still thinks the blue ink is dead and all the lights keep flashing....
The Emerald City Comic-Con in Seattle is coming up next month and we're planning on going to that, and hopefully taking a few extra days over there to wander around and see people in addition to spending time at the Con. Should be fun.
Oh, and winter refuses to give up the ghost around here. It keeps warming up to throw us off, and then it'll snow (like it did this morning, while the sun was still shining). Looks gorgeous outside right now, but you can't rely on it staying that way....
I'm still unemployed. I am looking for a job, but I really want to find something good, not just "a job". And I'm definitely enjoying my time off....
Jenny's enjoying her library job, and is going to start a second, temporary, part time job next week at Eric's (her best friend Jenni's husband) law firm. It's a temp data entry job, which may last a month, maybe two, basically however long it takes to get the job done. And she can pretty much make her own schedule, which is always nice.
So, with her job(s) we've got some decent income for the time being. And I've got some time to look for a job without the "I Have To Find A Job Now!" shadow hanging over my head.
We of course waited till the last minute (again) to file our taxes. We decided to file online to speed up our refund, and in the hopes of it being "easier". Yeah, right... I think it was about 6 hours, from start to finish, of hair-pulling-out frustration, and then I had to resubmit it the next day when the IRS rejected it due to one of the numbers being off. Hopefully they won't ding us with any late fees or service charges.
Oh, and on top of that, all of the cartridges on our monster of a printer decided to give out at once, right when we were trying to print out the tax forms we needed. Then the printer kept saying that one of the new cartidges was empty! So, had to figure out how to override it and make it accept the cartridge - now it works, but it still thinks the blue ink is dead and all the lights keep flashing....
The Emerald City Comic-Con in Seattle is coming up next month and we're planning on going to that, and hopefully taking a few extra days over there to wander around and see people in addition to spending time at the Con. Should be fun.
Oh, and winter refuses to give up the ghost around here. It keeps warming up to throw us off, and then it'll snow (like it did this morning, while the sun was still shining). Looks gorgeous outside right now, but you can't rely on it staying that way....
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Got to Pay the Man....
While I had intended to get our taxes finished and filed way early this year, I still ended up waiting till the very last minute. But I did get them taken care of tonight and already went and dropped them in the mail box. I ended up having to pay this time around, but Jenny's getting a refund for about the same amount, so I guess everything balanced out....
Jamie came over and hung out tonight after Jenny got off work and we watched Returner, which is a surprisingly cool Japanese sci-fi flick that we rented a while back, enjoyed, and just recently found a copy at Big Lots for $2.00. Score! And Jamie had also already seen it and liked it, which was kinda surprising (that he'd seen it) and ended up borrowing it so he could watch it again. I'd really like to find the soundtrack to it, but my Google search has turned up nothing and according to somebody on IMDB it's out of print. There's always eBay, I suppose.
Jamie came over and hung out tonight after Jenny got off work and we watched Returner, which is a surprisingly cool Japanese sci-fi flick that we rented a while back, enjoyed, and just recently found a copy at Big Lots for $2.00. Score! And Jamie had also already seen it and liked it, which was kinda surprising (that he'd seen it) and ended up borrowing it so he could watch it again. I'd really like to find the soundtrack to it, but my Google search has turned up nothing and according to somebody on IMDB it's out of print. There's always eBay, I suppose.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Moving Forward....
Jenny had her interview for the law firm/file clerk job today and apparently it went pretty well. They're having the last interview for the position on Monday so she'll find out whether she get's the job then. If she does get it, it would mean better pay, medical benefits, and a much better schedule: 8:30-5, M-F. We'll get off of work at the same time, see each other more, and even be able to schedule fun stuff outside of work! She'd actually have weekends off and we could start exercising after work again. I'm really hoping she gets this one.
In just as happy news, we (Chris and I) are (finally) theoretically through with the IRS! I took some time at lunch today and went down to the local office and got everything straightened out. We did still owe some money, but I wrote them a check and hopefully it should be the last one. The Revolution is finally over, 4 years after it ended....
In just as happy news, we (Chris and I) are (finally) theoretically through with the IRS! I took some time at lunch today and went down to the local office and got everything straightened out. We did still owe some money, but I wrote them a check and hopefully it should be the last one. The Revolution is finally over, 4 years after it ended....
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Catching Up....
We've both been fairly sick, off an on, for a while now. Jenny had a sinus infection for a couple of weeks that'd been keeping her down, and she really didn't have a way to take time off to recover. Realistically, she could, or atleast she should, but the corporate mess that is Michaels can't keep enough capable people in the framing department to cover any loss of hours so she ended up going into work anyway.
I've had a little bit of a cold that won't go away, even with copious amounts of vitamin supplements, but I finally was feeling really good at the end of last week. This, of course, was a now obvious precursor to me getting completely bowled over by this horrible sinus/stomach flu thing that's knocked me out for the last few days. It couldn't have picked a less desirable time to hit, as we're counting down the days till our weekend mini-vacation in Seattle for the Emerald City Comic-Con.
Jenny was able to get the time off she had requested (which was amazing in it's own right), so we'll be leaving sometime during the day on Friday and coming back on Monday, probably later in the evening. We did this trip this time last year, but without the extra buffer days for travel, so we didn't leave until Friday evening and most of the journey was in the dark. Atleast we'll be able to drive over during the day this time, actually see where we're going and enjoy the sights, and maybe not while driving directly into the sun the whole way, if we leave early enough. Our friends Shane and Rita have offered to put us up for the weekend, so we'll get to see them and have all sorts of geeky fun at the convention. Hopefully we'll get some more sketches, meet some cool creators, and find some cheap comics to fill out our collections.
I really hate having to call in sick, but I didn't have much of a choice the past few days. I woke up this morning and thought I'd be going back into work, but after I got up and started moving around I knew that'd be a bad idea.... As much as I'd like to have some sort of medical benefits, atleast I have a job that lets me take sick days off with basically no questions asked. I'm still looking for a new job, but I'm not holding out too much hope of finding a better paying job (that I'm qualified for) in the classifieds. I'm also looking online, but I think if that "perfect job" is out there, I'm going to have to know the right person and be in the right place at the right time.
Our friend Eric let me in on a job opening at his firm for a file clerk, which I probably had a pretty good chance of getting, but ended up opting not applying for. As much as I'd really like to find a new job, this position wouldn't have been any closer to something that interests me and would require learning a whole new world of technical jargon and probably would've required a lot more selective and expensive wardrobe (that can't be covered by a labcoat). It would have come with some benefits, but also paid less, and there wasn't the same guaranteed schedule that I currently have.
Besides, I know that if I had taken the job, I would have ended up quitting as soon as I found something better, and I wouldn't want to leave Eric in a lurch like that. I guess that as much as I complain about my current job, it's not really that bad, all things considered. But it's definately not what I want to be doing long term (obviously), so I really need to buckle down and start working on my art and writing if I want to get out of the 8-5 grind.
Still no word yet on Jenny's possible new job prospect. She hasn't heard anything from the other frame shop, although she does know she's getting sick of working for Michaels. They've got a revolving door of employees, and it seems the frame shop is the most difficult to keep staffed. Her ex-manager left (for the frame shop she wants to work at), and they got a replacement who lasted for 3 days before walking out and taking a better paying job at a completely different company. His replacement is way too young and has no management experience. I'm sure they'd like to promote Jenny, but there's no way she would ever take it (and her superiors know this).
My hopes for a clean break from the IRS were shattered when I received yet another statement in the mail this month, for a completely different amount (a little over a $100 this time). I'm through with dealing with them by phone. I know I need to just go into the local office with my checkbook and ask them "how much do you want?" At this point I'm willing to give them more than they're owed (which, if they never find that last check, I already have), just to be done with the whole situation. The problem is when I'll actually be able to get to the IRS office, as I'm at work from 8-5, Monday though Friday.
Well, that just about brings us up to speed with all the basic going-ons....
I've had a little bit of a cold that won't go away, even with copious amounts of vitamin supplements, but I finally was feeling really good at the end of last week. This, of course, was a now obvious precursor to me getting completely bowled over by this horrible sinus/stomach flu thing that's knocked me out for the last few days. It couldn't have picked a less desirable time to hit, as we're counting down the days till our weekend mini-vacation in Seattle for the Emerald City Comic-Con.
Jenny was able to get the time off she had requested (which was amazing in it's own right), so we'll be leaving sometime during the day on Friday and coming back on Monday, probably later in the evening. We did this trip this time last year, but without the extra buffer days for travel, so we didn't leave until Friday evening and most of the journey was in the dark. Atleast we'll be able to drive over during the day this time, actually see where we're going and enjoy the sights, and maybe not while driving directly into the sun the whole way, if we leave early enough. Our friends Shane and Rita have offered to put us up for the weekend, so we'll get to see them and have all sorts of geeky fun at the convention. Hopefully we'll get some more sketches, meet some cool creators, and find some cheap comics to fill out our collections.
I really hate having to call in sick, but I didn't have much of a choice the past few days. I woke up this morning and thought I'd be going back into work, but after I got up and started moving around I knew that'd be a bad idea.... As much as I'd like to have some sort of medical benefits, atleast I have a job that lets me take sick days off with basically no questions asked. I'm still looking for a new job, but I'm not holding out too much hope of finding a better paying job (that I'm qualified for) in the classifieds. I'm also looking online, but I think if that "perfect job" is out there, I'm going to have to know the right person and be in the right place at the right time.
Our friend Eric let me in on a job opening at his firm for a file clerk, which I probably had a pretty good chance of getting, but ended up opting not applying for. As much as I'd really like to find a new job, this position wouldn't have been any closer to something that interests me and would require learning a whole new world of technical jargon and probably would've required a lot more selective and expensive wardrobe (that can't be covered by a labcoat). It would have come with some benefits, but also paid less, and there wasn't the same guaranteed schedule that I currently have.
Besides, I know that if I had taken the job, I would have ended up quitting as soon as I found something better, and I wouldn't want to leave Eric in a lurch like that. I guess that as much as I complain about my current job, it's not really that bad, all things considered. But it's definately not what I want to be doing long term (obviously), so I really need to buckle down and start working on my art and writing if I want to get out of the 8-5 grind.
Still no word yet on Jenny's possible new job prospect. She hasn't heard anything from the other frame shop, although she does know she's getting sick of working for Michaels. They've got a revolving door of employees, and it seems the frame shop is the most difficult to keep staffed. Her ex-manager left (for the frame shop she wants to work at), and they got a replacement who lasted for 3 days before walking out and taking a better paying job at a completely different company. His replacement is way too young and has no management experience. I'm sure they'd like to promote Jenny, but there's no way she would ever take it (and her superiors know this).
My hopes for a clean break from the IRS were shattered when I received yet another statement in the mail this month, for a completely different amount (a little over a $100 this time). I'm through with dealing with them by phone. I know I need to just go into the local office with my checkbook and ask them "how much do you want?" At this point I'm willing to give them more than they're owed (which, if they never find that last check, I already have), just to be done with the whole situation. The problem is when I'll actually be able to get to the IRS office, as I'm at work from 8-5, Monday though Friday.
Well, that just about brings us up to speed with all the basic going-ons....
Monday, February 12, 2007
Weekend Update
Went over to Borders on Saturday, per usual, to see peoples and say Hi. Found out when we got there that it had been Lucky last day (he's moving to Seattle soon, to attend the Art Institute), and he was already gone for the day. Did pick up a couple of more books while we were there (Batman: Dark Victory and Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell). Can't have too many books. :)
We dropped by The Electric Crayon later on to see Lucky, and ended up hanging out there for quite a while. One of our other ex-coworkers was getting a very cool piece done so we stayed for a while to chat and watch him start working on it. While we were there, a rather drunk couple wandered in to ask random questions, and it turned out that the guy had a little piece on his shoulder, done by Sailor Jerry in '72, so that was cool. Lucky got a pic of it on his digital camera before the guy wandered back out....
Sunday was a whole lot of nothing, spent mostly in front of the TV and the computer. I think I probably slept for about half the weekend, all together, not getting up till almost noon both days. I did get a ton of laundry and dishes finished, and a whole lot of filing done that I've been putting off forever, so I guess that's something.
While I haven't got any sort of confirmation from the IRS as to whether or not they've "fixed the glitch", I'm tentatively hopeful since I haven't received a statement yet this month saying I still owe something. If they were going to send one out, I should have got one by now. Yay?
We dropped by The Electric Crayon later on to see Lucky, and ended up hanging out there for quite a while. One of our other ex-coworkers was getting a very cool piece done so we stayed for a while to chat and watch him start working on it. While we were there, a rather drunk couple wandered in to ask random questions, and it turned out that the guy had a little piece on his shoulder, done by Sailor Jerry in '72, so that was cool. Lucky got a pic of it on his digital camera before the guy wandered back out....
Sunday was a whole lot of nothing, spent mostly in front of the TV and the computer. I think I probably slept for about half the weekend, all together, not getting up till almost noon both days. I did get a ton of laundry and dishes finished, and a whole lot of filing done that I've been putting off forever, so I guess that's something.
While I haven't got any sort of confirmation from the IRS as to whether or not they've "fixed the glitch", I'm tentatively hopeful since I haven't received a statement yet this month saying I still owe something. If they were going to send one out, I should have got one by now. Yay?
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sick and Not Quite So Tired....
I spent all of yesterday at work with the hugest migraine type headache that felt like my head was going to explode, while fighting off bouts of nausea and alternating hot/cold flashes. So today I stayed home and slept for 12 hours. I'm still sick, but I suppose I do feel better - as long as I don't move around too much and stay out of direct sunlight.
Turns out the truck's problem was the alternator - Jenny took it to the local Toyota place this morning and they replaced it and fixed up the leads on the battery. Didn't cost near as much as we thought it would, and atleast it's fixed (until something else comes up).
It also appears that while our tax problem should be remedied, they are still claiming that we owe money. I had sent in a "final payment" check after getting a total from an IRS rep, but then received another statement with a completely different amount a couple of weeks ago. I called the IRS back, explained the whole situation, and the rep I talked to that time had No Idea where this new amount came from. And although the final check cleared, and I have copies of the check in question with all the US Treasury jargon plastered all over it, she could find no record of a check for that amount being received. But she did have a record of a check being received for an amount that I never sent! Sooo.... I've got to send in copies of said check to some IRS office where (hopefully) some guy in a suit will push a magic button and fix everything. I'm not holding my breath.
Turns out the truck's problem was the alternator - Jenny took it to the local Toyota place this morning and they replaced it and fixed up the leads on the battery. Didn't cost near as much as we thought it would, and atleast it's fixed (until something else comes up).
It also appears that while our tax problem should be remedied, they are still claiming that we owe money. I had sent in a "final payment" check after getting a total from an IRS rep, but then received another statement with a completely different amount a couple of weeks ago. I called the IRS back, explained the whole situation, and the rep I talked to that time had No Idea where this new amount came from. And although the final check cleared, and I have copies of the check in question with all the US Treasury jargon plastered all over it, she could find no record of a check for that amount being received. But she did have a record of a check being received for an amount that I never sent! Sooo.... I've got to send in copies of said check to some IRS office where (hopefully) some guy in a suit will push a magic button and fix everything. I'm not holding my breath.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
So Close....
I got through to talk to an IRS rep tonight on the phone and got the total on our final balance due. The check is written, the envelope is sealed, labeled and stamped, and it will be in the mail tomorrow. And as soon as they receive it, this portion of the catastrophe that is known as "small business ownership" will be at an end! Hurrah!
Sunday, October 29, 2006
What's Happening....
We were totally planning on dressing up and going out for Halloween this year, but we put off figuring out costumes till...well, now, and so that's really not going to happen. :) The (thoretical) plan was to go thrift store shopping and piece together Britney Spears and Kevin Federline costumes, but we kept putting the actual shopping portion of the plan off till it's too late. We're now going to go over to Jenni and Eric's and have dinner with them and go out with them when they take their kids trick or treating. We might dress up, but it's really not a high priority at this point.
We are definately going to start working on some awesome costumes for next year, maybe try to go out to a place where they're having a costume contest or something. We'd like to continue our "comic couple" theme (e.g. Joker & Catwoman, Peter Parker & Mary Jane), although we may expand that to sci-fi and fantasy couples as well. Regardless, part of the plan involves working out and getting into much better shape in the next year. Neither of us is willing to wear anything resembling spandex otherwise...
The big plan for the coming month is that both of us are participating in the National Novel Writing Month. The idea behind this event is that anyone can write a novel, and that you just have to apply yourself and make yourself do it. I'm hoping that I'll be able to apply this sort of deadline-abiding philosophy to other sections of my life (like my artwork), and be much more productive in the long term. For now, Jenny and I will both be attempting to churn out 50,000 words in 30 days. If you'd like to learn more, check out the NaNoWriMo website; and if you're a participant you can "buddy" us - here's My Profile and here's Jenny's Profile. Wish us luck...
Otherwise - work continues as normal, we still don't have a garage but it'll hopefully be soon (we're waiting for the apartment people to figure out who all's using garages without paying, and whether they'll kick 'em out or charge them back rent), and the IRS payment plan is working itself out. We may be out from under their thumb sooner than we thought, but it's not a sure thing yet.
We are definately going to start working on some awesome costumes for next year, maybe try to go out to a place where they're having a costume contest or something. We'd like to continue our "comic couple" theme (e.g. Joker & Catwoman, Peter Parker & Mary Jane), although we may expand that to sci-fi and fantasy couples as well. Regardless, part of the plan involves working out and getting into much better shape in the next year. Neither of us is willing to wear anything resembling spandex otherwise...
The big plan for the coming month is that both of us are participating in the National Novel Writing Month. The idea behind this event is that anyone can write a novel, and that you just have to apply yourself and make yourself do it. I'm hoping that I'll be able to apply this sort of deadline-abiding philosophy to other sections of my life (like my artwork), and be much more productive in the long term. For now, Jenny and I will both be attempting to churn out 50,000 words in 30 days. If you'd like to learn more, check out the NaNoWriMo website; and if you're a participant you can "buddy" us - here's My Profile and here's Jenny's Profile. Wish us luck...
Otherwise - work continues as normal, we still don't have a garage but it'll hopefully be soon (we're waiting for the apartment people to figure out who all's using garages without paying, and whether they'll kick 'em out or charge them back rent), and the IRS payment plan is working itself out. We may be out from under their thumb sooner than we thought, but it's not a sure thing yet.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Weekend Update
Another weekend of alternating crazed cleaning and blissful laziness is upon us. I'm trying to get into a pattern of cleaning the apartment every 2 weeks, so it doesn't get absolutely horrific between cleanings, and I got most of the place done yesterday. All I've got left is the bathroom (which is usually the most "work") and the floors (sweep,mop,vacuum). There's just a kind of zen-like satisfaction with having a completely clean living space. Well, atleast I think it's zen-like. I really don't know anything about zen, so....
We went over to CdA Friday night, after I got off work - watched TV, read the papers, swung by Borders to see peoples, the normal stuff. We're both definately going to be working at Borders part time during the Christmas season, so that should be fun. The plan at the moment is to work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night plus a full shift on Saturday. I'm guessing that this will start after Thanksgiving, but we won't know for sure until Sean works up the schedules.
We're watching entirely too much TV this season, and having to tape shows every night and then playing catch up through the next week. We're looking at possibly cutting out some shows, but it'll be tough letting go. So far, a couple of CSI shows are getting the axe....
No word yet on the garage situation. Check's in the mail to the IRS. Got some hand-me-down furniture from Jenni and Eric, so we could finally dispose of the big box we've been using as a coffee table since we've moved down here. The apartment's really starting to look and feel like a home, so we're not too enthused about the prospect of having to move. But we're keeping our options open.
We went over to CdA Friday night, after I got off work - watched TV, read the papers, swung by Borders to see peoples, the normal stuff. We're both definately going to be working at Borders part time during the Christmas season, so that should be fun. The plan at the moment is to work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night plus a full shift on Saturday. I'm guessing that this will start after Thanksgiving, but we won't know for sure until Sean works up the schedules.
We're watching entirely too much TV this season, and having to tape shows every night and then playing catch up through the next week. We're looking at possibly cutting out some shows, but it'll be tough letting go. So far, a couple of CSI shows are getting the axe....
No word yet on the garage situation. Check's in the mail to the IRS. Got some hand-me-down furniture from Jenni and Eric, so we could finally dispose of the big box we've been using as a coffee table since we've moved down here. The apartment's really starting to look and feel like a home, so we're not too enthused about the prospect of having to move. But we're keeping our options open.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Update
The side windows on the truck are finally fixed, and it cost us less than $300 for parts + labor + tax (hurrah for small victories). Now we just have to hope that we won't have to get everything fixed again before we're able to get a garage (or give up and move out).
We went out to CdA yesterday - hung out at Borders for a while and did some laundry at Jenny's folks' place. Also found the tattoo shop that Lucky's working at now and hung out with him for a while there before heading home. We'll probably head back there this week sometime, since Jenny needs to get one of her ears re-pierced (one of her lobes closed up).
Talked to the IRS today about our business/tax issues and got some answers on that front. Things are in motion to getting that all cleared up. It'll take a while before it'll all get paid, but it will happen, eventually.
And I found out that WalMart owes me a day's wages for a day of orientation that I went to back before I left Fairbanks and briefly thought about working there. I had completely forgot about that, actually.... Oh well, I'll take the money. :)
While I'm sure there's plenty of other things I meant to write about earlier, that's all I can remember right now. Guess one of us will write more when we think of something. For now, it's off to watch Studio 60!
We went out to CdA yesterday - hung out at Borders for a while and did some laundry at Jenny's folks' place. Also found the tattoo shop that Lucky's working at now and hung out with him for a while there before heading home. We'll probably head back there this week sometime, since Jenny needs to get one of her ears re-pierced (one of her lobes closed up).
Talked to the IRS today about our business/tax issues and got some answers on that front. Things are in motion to getting that all cleared up. It'll take a while before it'll all get paid, but it will happen, eventually.
And I found out that WalMart owes me a day's wages for a day of orientation that I went to back before I left Fairbanks and briefly thought about working there. I had completely forgot about that, actually.... Oh well, I'll take the money. :)
While I'm sure there's plenty of other things I meant to write about earlier, that's all I can remember right now. Guess one of us will write more when we think of something. For now, it's off to watch Studio 60!
Monday, April 17, 2006
The Tax Man Cometh, etc.
Well, nothing near as exciting to report as the last couple of posts....
We did get our taxes done and in the mail on time (a little before in fact), and it looks like we should be getting some money back this year, assuming all of our math was right. Jenny's only getting about $11 back, but it looks like I might be getting as much as a few hundred, although the IRS usually "fixes" your "mistakes" and that number will probably get knocked down a little.
Work continues to... continue. Jenny's getting a few more hours, although that includes hours on register, so it's not all great but we need the money. My job is still going OK, but I've accepted that it really isn't what I'm looking for in a job and I don't expect to stay there for too long of an extended stay. I'm not planning on jumping ship anytime soon, but let's just say we're both keeping our options open.
I'm still looking at getting a tablet for the computer, and with some money coming back from taxes, that's definately high up on the list of things to buy. I've also had my eye on a new PDA and I'd really like to get an iPod, but that's a $400 toy I really don't need....
Did some major spring cleaning this last weekend, so the apartment is back to livable condition again. Still need to vacuum and mop, but otherwise the place looks pretty good. If I can get the digital camera up and running, maybe I'll take some new pics of the apartment, so we can compare them to the pics I took when we moved in. Has it really been 6 months?
Entertainment
I'm reading my way through my William Gibson collection; currently I'm on Mona Lisa Overdrive for probably the 30th time or so. I'm working up to finally finishing his 2nd trilogy (I've had All Tomorrow's Parties for a couple of years now and still haven't read it), and eventually read his most recent effort, Pattern Recognition.
Jenny's currently hooked on Summoner, a PS2 game I got ages ago and never really started. It's an RPG, similar to Dungeon Siege, but in an insanely detailed world with a lot more more options available to you.
We still haven't seen V For Vendetta yet (or any new movie for that matter), but I'm sure we'll get a round to it eventually. Probably end up seeing it in the bargain theatre at this rate. Chronicles of Narnia just came out on DVD, and we borrowed that from Jenny's parents, but we'll definately end up buying that one. And they're finally releasing American Dad on DVD as well (April 25th), so there's another box set to add to the list. And new episodes start this Sunday!
In miniature news, Hordes is set for release on the 22nd, so we want to scrape up enough money to buy a couple of starter boxes. Hopefully that'll be enough motivation to get back into playing again.
We did get our taxes done and in the mail on time (a little before in fact), and it looks like we should be getting some money back this year, assuming all of our math was right. Jenny's only getting about $11 back, but it looks like I might be getting as much as a few hundred, although the IRS usually "fixes" your "mistakes" and that number will probably get knocked down a little.
Work continues to... continue. Jenny's getting a few more hours, although that includes hours on register, so it's not all great but we need the money. My job is still going OK, but I've accepted that it really isn't what I'm looking for in a job and I don't expect to stay there for too long of an extended stay. I'm not planning on jumping ship anytime soon, but let's just say we're both keeping our options open.
I'm still looking at getting a tablet for the computer, and with some money coming back from taxes, that's definately high up on the list of things to buy. I've also had my eye on a new PDA and I'd really like to get an iPod, but that's a $400 toy I really don't need....
Did some major spring cleaning this last weekend, so the apartment is back to livable condition again. Still need to vacuum and mop, but otherwise the place looks pretty good. If I can get the digital camera up and running, maybe I'll take some new pics of the apartment, so we can compare them to the pics I took when we moved in. Has it really been 6 months?
Entertainment
I'm reading my way through my William Gibson collection; currently I'm on Mona Lisa Overdrive for probably the 30th time or so. I'm working up to finally finishing his 2nd trilogy (I've had All Tomorrow's Parties for a couple of years now and still haven't read it), and eventually read his most recent effort, Pattern Recognition.
Jenny's currently hooked on Summoner, a PS2 game I got ages ago and never really started. It's an RPG, similar to Dungeon Siege, but in an insanely detailed world with a lot more more options available to you.
We still haven't seen V For Vendetta yet (or any new movie for that matter), but I'm sure we'll get a round to it eventually. Probably end up seeing it in the bargain theatre at this rate. Chronicles of Narnia just came out on DVD, and we borrowed that from Jenny's parents, but we'll definately end up buying that one. And they're finally releasing American Dad on DVD as well (April 25th), so there's another box set to add to the list. And new episodes start this Sunday!
In miniature news, Hordes is set for release on the 22nd, so we want to scrape up enough money to buy a couple of starter boxes. Hopefully that'll be enough motivation to get back into playing again.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Gots to Pay the Man
Good news on the "dragging my self out of financial ruin" front -- The Fountainhead debt is payed!
So, I talked to Chris (bud and ex-business partner) last night, and he's the one still in Alaska and tying up all the loose ends as far as the business is concerned. Well, it turns out we still had one more debt we hadn't payed (on top of FH): Alliance Games, to the tune of $4400. That $4400 had now turned into $7700 thanks to interest and legal fees....
To remedy this situation, Chris' parents have now taken a $20,000 loan out, Chris has payed off FH entirely, and is about to send a check to Alliance's lawyers to pay off that as well. As far as we can tell, we are completely payed off, the accountant is currently working to clear up the store's tax problems, and we'll be paying off the bank/his parents at $300/month for the next 5 years. So that's $150/month per person, which is actually cheaper than we were paying to FH! I can dig it.
It was good talking to Chris again as well, getting caught up on all the craziness in Fairbanks and everything.
Looks like our apartment building is up for sale; there's a realtor sign in our yard by the street. I'm wondering when they were going to inform us, the tenants, of this little change. Perhaps we will be moving sooner as opposed to later. We've been thinking that if we do end up moving, since we'll have to go through the effort of moving and probably sign a lease where ever we end up living, we might as well move to Spokane.
The whole point of moving down here was to give us more opportunities, have more to do, meet people, and save money. Realistically, Coeur d'Alene does none of these things for us. Staying in CDA when we first got here was great, since we were close to Jenny's folks and we didn't know anyone else or our way around. We'd get paid more in WA, have better options for jobs, and we'd have a couple of friends (Tigger & Lincoln) close by. I'm guessing I could even transfer to the Spokane Borders, although I probably wouldn't be up for a Supervisor job, although with them having a full size store and an SBC cafe, I don't think I'd want the added responsibility.
I switched shifts with Laura yesterday, so I've got today and tomorrow off, as well as Jenny (which was convenient). We slept in, did our laundry over at the folks' place, and went to Spokane and got comics. Then went over to Jamie and Maria's place to watch the second season of League of Gentlemen. He's also got the third season and the Christmas special. That'll be next week....
I still haven't cleaned the damn bathroom, maybe tomorrow. Otherwise, tomorrow will be drawing, writing, relaxing and wrestling (Smackdown!). Now, I believe, it's time to read some comics.
So, I talked to Chris (bud and ex-business partner) last night, and he's the one still in Alaska and tying up all the loose ends as far as the business is concerned. Well, it turns out we still had one more debt we hadn't payed (on top of FH): Alliance Games, to the tune of $4400. That $4400 had now turned into $7700 thanks to interest and legal fees....
To remedy this situation, Chris' parents have now taken a $20,000 loan out, Chris has payed off FH entirely, and is about to send a check to Alliance's lawyers to pay off that as well. As far as we can tell, we are completely payed off, the accountant is currently working to clear up the store's tax problems, and we'll be paying off the bank/his parents at $300/month for the next 5 years. So that's $150/month per person, which is actually cheaper than we were paying to FH! I can dig it.
It was good talking to Chris again as well, getting caught up on all the craziness in Fairbanks and everything.
Looks like our apartment building is up for sale; there's a realtor sign in our yard by the street. I'm wondering when they were going to inform us, the tenants, of this little change. Perhaps we will be moving sooner as opposed to later. We've been thinking that if we do end up moving, since we'll have to go through the effort of moving and probably sign a lease where ever we end up living, we might as well move to Spokane.
The whole point of moving down here was to give us more opportunities, have more to do, meet people, and save money. Realistically, Coeur d'Alene does none of these things for us. Staying in CDA when we first got here was great, since we were close to Jenny's folks and we didn't know anyone else or our way around. We'd get paid more in WA, have better options for jobs, and we'd have a couple of friends (Tigger & Lincoln) close by. I'm guessing I could even transfer to the Spokane Borders, although I probably wouldn't be up for a Supervisor job, although with them having a full size store and an SBC cafe, I don't think I'd want the added responsibility.
I switched shifts with Laura yesterday, so I've got today and tomorrow off, as well as Jenny (which was convenient). We slept in, did our laundry over at the folks' place, and went to Spokane and got comics. Then went over to Jamie and Maria's place to watch the second season of League of Gentlemen. He's also got the third season and the Christmas special. That'll be next week....
I still haven't cleaned the damn bathroom, maybe tomorrow. Otherwise, tomorrow will be drawing, writing, relaxing and wrestling (Smackdown!). Now, I believe, it's time to read some comics.
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